


Three Reluctant Heroes and a Flower

by century_berry



Series: Outside the Save Screen [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Aftertale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Flowerfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Reset!Underswap, Friendship, Gen, Mystery, Surprisingly Helpful!Flowey, Suspense, The Bad Guys have made their entrance!, ha, you thought they were going to be happy forever?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26416948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/century_berry/pseuds/century_berry
Summary: Geno, Thorn, and Dual had overcome the impossible and, after many tears, found a way to accept their new, peaceful lives on the Surface. Unfortunately, trouble comes knocking and they find their home threatened by a multiverse menace.And no, before anyone points fingers, it’s not Error. Not this time.
Series: Outside the Save Screen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920112
Comments: 60
Kudos: 37





	1. The World as We Knew It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The adventures of Geno, Thorn, and Dual continues! Isn't this great?

Just three hours ago, Geno’s life was going pretty well. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, and he was completely content and happy with how his life was.

That should’ve been the first sign.

See, nothing wonderful in Geno’s life _stays_ wonderful. There’s always something – terrible co-workers, overtime, hellish time loops manned by an overpowered human child, his depression rearing its ugly head, his PTSD rearing its _uglier_ head – that eventually ruins it.

“Hey. _Hey!_ Ripped-up Smiley Trashbag!”

Three hours ago, Geno thought it was the talking weed that would ruin things this time.

Geno still has no idea _why_ the kid decided it was a good idea to bring Flowey home with them in a flowerpot not even two weeks into their life in the Surface. The soulless monster had been hissing and spitting vitriol the entire way into Toriel’s household and stayed there ever since. Geno heard that he’d raised hell during his first week with Frisk before simmering down.

That was just about a year ago.

Now, Flowey is the bane of Geno and Sans’ quiet, lazy days. He’d somehow find a way to crawl out of his flowerpot and bother his two, most-hated skeletons. 

If it were Sans, he’d act completely unaffected and annoy Flowey with his nonchalant responses. Geno isn’t Sans. Not anymore. He’s too tired to even put up false airs, so he gets right to the point. “What is it? Do you need Thorn for something? He’s inside if you need him.” Please let it be Thorn that Flowey wants. Surprisingly, despite the beef he has with Geno, the soulless plant has a good relationship with his roommates – Thorn in particular.

Judging by the way the flower isn’t moving, it’s not Thorn he wants to talk to. It’s Geno.

Oh well. A guy could dream, right?

“Everyone’s acting weird,” Flowey finally blurts out, visibly frustrated. “Everyone’s too happy to see it, but there’s something wrong. Really wrong. I think something bad is about to happen.”

“Oh?”

Flowey’s expression sours at Geno’s tone. His petals pull back defensively. “You don’t believe me.”

Geno shrugs. “You don’t exactly have the best track record, pal.”

Flowey makes a wordless cry of frustration. “FINE! Don’t listen to me! I don’t even know why I came to you out of all people anyways!” He leaves in a huff, much to Geno’s relief. Out of sight, out of mind. Geno continues on with his otherwise pleasant day and joins Dual for lunch.

Three hours ago, Geno made the mistake of ignoring a flower’s warning.

* * *

Geno wheezes awake. Somehow, he’s wound up on his front lawn. He can see Thorn and Dual sprawled out near him, unconscious. Every house he can currently see is either in shambles or up in flames – even his own.

Geno thinks he hears someone wail. He’s not so sure. He tries to sit up only to come face-to-face with a pissed-off Flowey.

“I told you so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And everything is already on fire. A wonderful start to a story.


	2. Trouble Comes in Threes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where were we? Oh right, everything is burning and Geno is dead inside.

So. All of this isn’t Flowey’s fault. Surprisingly. And how does Geno know this?

Well, the flower might’ve caused a bunch of trouble before, but he really doubts that Flowey is capable of causing _this_ much damage to the entire city. Fires, crashed cars, dead bodies, _dust,_ it’s like one of those scenes taken right out of those apocalypse films Dual had accidentally picked out from the library. The film hadn’t been a happy one.

When Dual and Thorn wakes up, they are devastated to see their home going up in flames.

Dual, in particular, whimpers into his hands, breaking Geno’s heart.

“It’s gone. It’s all _gone_.”

“We can rebuild it again,” Geno tries to assure his friend. _We braved worse before, we can do it again._ But even his own words of comfort sound so hollow. It difficult to feel optimistic at the face of all this destruction.

Thorn was more silent with his grief, but Geno saw it all the same.

“We need ta find out what happen’d,” he decides gruffy, hiding away his hands. Geno is almost certain that they’re shaking. “We need ta see if ‘nyone made it out like us or…”

“Toriel and Frisk are fine,” Flowey announces, breaking the tense silence. “I helped Smiley Trashbag and Papyrus make it out their own burning living space like I did with you bunch of idiots – you’re welcome for that by the way.”

Thorn’s shoulders relax at Flowey’s petty announcement. He kneels down to his height and lightly strokes a petal gratefully. “Thanks fer dat, kiddo. Ya really saved our skins back there.”

“If we had any,” Geno can’t help but quip.

Flowey’s momentary shock immediately turns into disgust. _“Ugh._ I should’ve left you to burn, Trashbag.”

“But’cha didn’t.”

“Enough.” Geno and Flowey immediately clam up when Dual speaks. He sounds so empty and tired as he gets up. “We need to regroup with our friends and find out what’s happening.”

Geno would be concerned, but he feels how Dual looks. Thorn too. Out of all of them, it’s the soulless flower who looks the most worried about how everyone is. Still, he remains silent and acquiesces to Dual’s orders.

“Okay.”

* * *

With Flowey on Thorn’s shoulder, the three of them shortcut deeper into the city to see how far the chaos had spread. The answer?

_A whole damn lot._

Geno, Thorn, and Dual gingerly make their way through the wreckage and the smoke. And yet, everything is silent. No screams, no wailing, nothing. It’s as if all sound and life had been sucked out of Ebott City and left it in empty despair. It sends chills down Geno’s back as he tries to find any sign of what might have caused all of this.

“This is creepy,” Flowey announces with a grimace.

“Yeah, no kiddin’,” Thorn rumbles in agreement, red eyelights flickering around himself warily. “It’s a literal ghost town here.”

“Hello? Can anyone hear me?” Dual walks ahead of the group, trying to find any survivors. He searches high and low, continuing to call out to see if there is anyone who needs help out of the wreckage. He perks up when he hears something shift and climbs over to the source. Thorn follows closely behind. “Do you need help? Hello?”

When Dual peers into an alleyway, he nearly loses his head. It’s a combination of Thorn’s instincts and Flowey’s paranoia that manages to get Dual out of the way of the flying axe. Geno shortcuts right in front of his friends as they recover and glares challengingly into the darkness. A single, glowing red eye stares back.

“You keep missing, Horror!” A voice cackles in the darkness. A hooded skeleton monster steps out wearing Sans’ face. Except, it isn’t Sans. Geno knows because _this_ monster’s LV count puts even Thorn’s to shame. The newcomer laughs at the trio unkindly. “I don’t even know why you bother lugging around that axe all the time! Try something pointier. It’ll get the job done faster. Look!”

A series of bone attacks follow, all aiming at Geno’s direction.

“Holy crap!” Flowey shrieks before sending a barrage of magical pellets to help Geno counter the bone attacks. “More Trashbags! They’re multiplying! As if this place isn’t already a dump!”

In any other situation, Geno would’ve teased Flowey for the unintentional pun. But now? He has _more_ copies of himself to handle, and he doubts that they’re the friendly, roommate sort this time, which makes things _worse_.

‘Horror’ comes out into the light to retrieve his weapon. Geno tries not to shudder at the way the monster’s skull is partially concaved from a nasty wound. He wonders how this Sans managed to survive from such an attack with only 1 HP.

“…Nah. I’d rather hunt with my axe. It cuts down prey pretty easy up close.”

Dual and Thorn are now back onto their feet, flanking Geno’s side defensively. Two to three plus a flower. Even with the extra LV on their enemy’s side, Geno likes their chances. They just need to be careful.

As if the universe heard his tentative optimism and wanted to prove him otherwise, Geno hears a _third_ voice speak up from the darkness.

“I’m with Dust on this one. Pointy weapons are the way to go.”

The voice is smooth and almost serpentine with the way it draws out every last word. It’s careless in a way that would’ve set anyone at else…well, anyone except the Sanses already at edge. The final Sans does not come out of the darkness but comes down from above. The only warning is the glint of his dagger. Geno, Thorn, and Dual scatter while avoiding the lethal weapon. The newcomer lithely dances away from Thorn’s instinctive gaster blast and grins, tar-like tears running down his face.

“Though I prefer my weapons to be a little more, eh, _sharp_.” He tilts his head. His eye sockets look so empty despite his animated movements. If it weren’t for the target-shaped soul floating right above his chest, Geno would think him soulless. “Oh. My bad. We’re being so rude. _Why don’t we have our hosts decide for us?_ ”

* * *

They run.

Of course they run. They’re not crazy to go up against twisted versions of themselves with disturbingly high LOVE. Not after being significantly weakened by the fire.

Thorn’s string of curses slips through his gritted teeth like a chant as the three of them flee from the barrage of knives, axes, and crudely sharpened bone attacks.

“Over here!”

Relief bubbles in Geno’s chest when he hears the familiar tenor of Frisk’s voice. He has no idea how the kid found them, but he’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He follows after the kid as they enter into one of the buildings. To Geno’s relief, it’s one of the magically resistant buildings, which should prevent any shortcutting until they all recovered.

Geno, Thorn, and Dual rush through the doorway and slam the door shut.

Safe. For now.

“Whelp. That’s my workout fer the day,” Thorn weakly jokes. Dual wheezes out a snicker, noticeably brighter and happier than he was before. Somehow, the despair and anguish that had weighed on the pair’s shoulders have lifted.

Geno lets out a chuckle himself and looks down.

“Thanks for that, Frisk –

Geno stops and tries not to scream when he sees a pair of Void-empty eyes stare right back at him. This isn’t Frisk.

The gray child smiles back pleasantly as if there isn’t anything wrong.

“You are welcome, Geno.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gee, I wonder who that is.


	3. Call Them Frisk

“What the fuck,” Thorn squeaks behind Geno. Later, he would vehemently swear up and down that he didn’t scream upon seeing creepy-Frisk. _It was more of a shout to scare ‘em away from the rest ‘f ya,_ Thorn would insist. Geno and Dual would pretend to believe him.

The gray child peers at Thorn disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t swear in front of children.”

“You ain’t no fuckin’ kid.”

It’s all bluster and bark, Geno knows that, but he tenses when the rude words instinctively jump out of his friend’s mouth. Truth or no, Thorn might be in a whole lot of trouble for running his mouth. Geno doesn’t know this Frisk. He doesn’t know their intentions or the whole extent of their abilities. From what he’s seeing so far – dimension bending and a connection to the Void – this being is really powerful.

Dual steps in front of Thorn, all smiles and apology brimming in his eyelights. “I tell him not to swear every time,” he lets out a beleaguered sigh and shakes his head, “Thorn is still learning to break his bad swearing habits. Forgive him. The Underground he came from wasn’t very kind. I hope that you can understand, friend.”

The being smiles knowingly. “Ah, that’s right, ‘Thorn’ is a Fell type, isn’t he? ‘Kill or be killed’ and all that. No worries, Dual. I’m used to handling Sanses like him.”

“…Sanses like him?” Dual parrots after a bemused blink.

“Guys,” Flowey hisses, _“look behind you.”_

The trio do as the flower says and balk. What had at first seemed like a blank dimension is now an entire community of familiar faces – a lot of them being their own. Many curious faces stare back.

“Welcome to the Omega Timeline,” the gray child announces almost proudly, “you are all safe here. I promise.”

* * *

The Multiverse is bigger and more interactive than Geno imagined.

“You can call me Frisk,” the Void child insists even after revealing their omnipotence. “But to make things less confusing, you can refer to me as ‘Core’ with anyone else so you don’t mix me up with your own Frisk…or any Frisk.”

“Why did you help us?”

“It’s what I do,” Core states as if it’s the fact of the Multiverse. Maybe it is. “Any Genocidal or failing world has monsters and humans who needs a sanctuary finds it here. Now more than ever considering what’s happening now.”

“What _is_ happening now?” Dual sounds almost too scared to ask. “Who were those Sanses who chased us? Are our friends okay?” The last question is the most important. Even though Geno is doing his best not to show it, he’s near _frantic_ with worry. Flowey mentioned that he got Toriel, Frisk, Sans and Papyrus out, but what about Undyne and Alphys? Asgore? And how are they to know whether or not those _killers_ didn’t find and hurt their friends?

Core’s face remains neutral. “Currently, all AUs are experiencing a sudden spike of negative emotions and…a lack of positivity. At the most extreme cases, some are self-destructing because of the sudden influx of despair, which includes your own.” They seem to not notice Dual’s growing distress as they continue. “The Sanses you just bumped into work for an entity called Nightmare. He’s most likely responsible for the sudden dip of negative feelings in your AU.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

Core looks at Thorn solemnly. “He is.”

“We need to go back,” Geno decides promptly, “We need to find our friends and any of the survivors and bring them here before those crazies find them.” He turns away from Core and marches towards the door. Thorn and Dual are right at his heel.

“Wait, wait, _wait,_ ” Flowey bats his leaves against Thorn’s cheekbones, “you’re going to go _back?!_ Just like that? We barely made it out the last time! Please tell me you idiots have a plan.”

Thorn shrugs. “Eh. We’ll find a way.”

“…You’re kidding.”

“’fraid not.”

“Hey! Wait!” The three skeletons stop at the youthful cry. They blink as a smaller version of themselves speeds over and plants himself right in front of the door. He points at Geno. “You. You’re a Geno, right?”

There’s a beat of silence before Geno speaks. “ _A_ Geno? I’m a type?”

The kid shrugs. “Well, yeah. It’s the Multiverse,” _duh,_ goes unsaid but the implication makes Geno twitch. “There’s bunches of you, except we usually don’t get Geno’s out of the Save Screen, much less here in the Omega Timeline.” The young skeleton monster shakes his head. “But that’s not the point! You! You three! _You’re_ the time anomalies I’ve been looking for _forever!”_

…Time anomalies? Ah geez, Geno doesn’t have any time for this.

“Can you clarify, er, Sans?” Dual tries, smiling awkwardly.

“Call me TK. I’d say it’s nice t’meet’cha all, but you bunch are honestly a headache.”

“I’m sorry?” Dual, bless his soul, apologizes even though he has absolutely no idea what he’s sorry for.

Thorn lets out a low growl. “Explain. And don’t be rude to Dual, runt. Yer talkin’ to the coolest adult here.”

Dust flushes at the unexpected compliment. Flowey lets out an obnoxious groan and rolls his eyes. TK, on the other hand, doesn’t look repentant at all.

“I’m the Guardian of Time, Underfell. The balance of an AU was threatened, so me knowing my manners ain’t the priority. You and your ‘cool’ buddy made a complete muddle of things after you two barged into Aftertale’s timeline.” He looks between the two. “How in the world did you guys end up there anyways? The Machine in the secret lab? An Outcode?”

“A glitch.” Geno finally tells TK. “Look. I don’t know what to tell ya, kid. I was alone in the Save Screen, and then I wasn’t. Neither were awake to know what happened.”

TK frowns. “That wasn’t _just_ a glitch. Glitches are little hiccups that make Sanses like you and me. Glitches don’t tug people from their own AU over to a closed space like the Save Screen. Your buddies had outside help.”

“Time magic.” Flowey lets out a shrill shriek at Core’s sudden appearance. The Void-eyed child makes no acknowledgment to everyone’s surprise. Even TK, who seems familiar with Core, flinches a little at their sudden presence. Of course, his knee-jerk reaction is immediately forgotten in favor of the new information. “Wai- mine?! Frisk, that’s not possible. I’ve never _met_ ‘em, much less used my magic on ‘em.”

“Yes. _You_ didn’t.”

Some idea dawns on TK’s face. “My clocklocks,” his voice comes out hushed, “and the only one who I ever gave _those_ to was –

Crippling pain lances through Geno, knocking him over. His soul – as small and fragmented as it is – cries out as it is overwhelmed by something Geno can’t explain. He dimly hears many voices call out to him in worry and concern. Some he recognizes.

Some…he doesn’t.

_“Oh no, Geno! What’s happening?!”_

_“That doesn’t look too good.”_

_“Oooh! Think this place is getting to him? The Omega Timeline is just another part of the AntiVoid, after all, and we all know what **that** did to the other Geno.”_

Geno whimpers and covers his ears. His body twitches as a wave of painful glitches wrack through his body. “Shut up,” he hisses, “shut up, shut up, shut up.”

_“…Think he can hear us?”_

_“Oh-ho! It’s happening! It’s really happening! I wonder how Thorn and Dual are going to react to him turning into E-”_

_“Shhh! Spoilers!”_

“Leave me alone,” Geno begs as his friends call for him in the background, “please, just leave me alone.”

* * *

“What’s happinin’ to Geno?” Thorn demands desperately as his friend writhes in pain on the ground. Patches of glitches crawls all over his body. It might’ve been a trick of the eye, but Thorn is beginning to see patches of blue and yellow behind the glitches. A strangled scream escapes from behind Geno’s gritted teeth. _“Tell me.”_

Core looks just as alarmed. “I didn’t know that this place would affect him. I thought Geno would be fine here. I was mistaken. TK,” the youngster stands at attention, “take Geno out of here. Take him somewhere he can stabilize safely.”

“Roger that, Frisk.”

Within a blink of an eye, TK and Geno are gone.

_“Where are they.”_ This time, it’s Dual who’s the one upset. All polite cheerfulness is wiped away from his face. His soft, blue eyelights take on an orange gleam as he stares Core down.

“Geno is fine now. You will see each other again after he recovers.” Core is as calm as they can be despite having two unhappy skeletons and a distrustful flower glaring holes at their form. “He only has a fraction of a soul, doesn’t he? Not a very big piece, either. The AntiVoid isn’t kind to fragile souls, but I thought the Omega Timeline wouldn’t affect him as it is a _tamed_ dimension. I underestimated its affect. I apologize.”

Thorn shares a look with Dual and Flowey. He hates how his helplessness reflects back from Dual’s eyelights.

“If he doesn’t come back in one piece…”

“I understand.”

* * *

“Why did you take me back here?”

Geno is back in the Save Screen and he’s standing in front of a gray door. TK smiles almost sadly. “To meet someone who’s been waiting for a long time.”

“Sorry, bud, but I don’t exactly have the _best_ relationship with Dr. Gaster.”

Geno’s bones are still smarting from the onslaught of glitches, but he doesn’t let it show in front of the self-proclaimed Guardian of Time. If he’s a friend of Gaster, he’s not someone to trust completely.

TK blinks. “Gaster? Who said anything about Gaster?”

“You said ‘friend’, kid. The only other person I left here in the Save Screen was him – not that he wanted to leave.”

TK stares at Geno a little longer before letting out a wry snort. He covers his face with his hands and shakes his head. “Ah, geez. You really don’t remember, do you? No wonder why you never came back for them.”

Geno feels lost. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“Just…open the door and help my friend get out. Okay? You owe them at least that much after making them wait for you so long.”

It might be a trap. It might be something dangerous. But Geno finds himself reaching for the doorknob anyways. As he turns it, he feels a wave of familiarity at the action. Then, he throws the door open.

* * *

Left with no other choice, the three waits for Geno to come back. Core does their best to ease the flow of time by taking the three on a tour around the Omega Timeline. Weariness shifts into wonder as Core reveals to them a slice of the Multiverse through the inhabitants of this dimension. There are visitors from peaceful timelines, permanent residents from the worst, and there are even some who are refugees.

“So many Charas,” Flowey marvels breathlessly, “and they’re _alive_.”

For a moment, all of the distaste and distrust he has for the flower just…melts away. The tentative hope on Flowey’s face – or a very convincing mimicry of an emotion that the soulless can no longer feel – is something he’s seen too many times on Thorn and Dual’s faces. His own too, once upon a time.

“Yeah,” Thorn softly agrees, “it’s nice, ain’t it? T’know that they’re okay somewhere else?”

“…Sans!”

A Papyrus wearing an orange hoodie pushes through the crowd and makes a beeline towards Dual. The said skeleton freezes as the other pulls him into a desperate hug. “Thank Asgore,” the Papyrus gasps, “you’re safe! I thought that maniac dusted you! How did you escape?”

Dual doesn’t move.

“…Bro?”

Flowey shatters the tense silence with his usual disregard of the tense, emotional atmosphere. “Hey, weirdo, hands off of Dual!” he snaps. “Can’t you see you got the wrong skeleton! Buzz off!”

The Papyrus stumbles back. “Wha –?”

The abrupt movement snaps Dual out of his shock. He scrambles back and nearly slams into Thorn. Shaking, he backs away and avoids looking at the ghost of his little brother in front of him. “I need to – I need to go. I need to –

He chokes.

And then, he glitches out of sight.

* * *

When Dual manages to get to grips with his emotions, he realizes that he’s in a completely different part of the Omega Timeline.

“That was really impressive!”

Dual jumps when a pair of golden eyelights fill his vision. They’re the brightest shade of magic he’s ever seen on another monster. The newcomer immediately gets out of his personal space when they sense his discomfort. They’re…another Sans? And yet, he feels different. Warm and kind and good, Dual immediately thinks even though he’s barely interacted with this skeleton. “Oh! I apologize, I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that not many Swap Sanses have the ability to shortcut, much less the way you did it. You just cut through all that code. Are you from a Cyberpunk AU?”

“No. I am…not too sure where I originally came from yet. I’m new here, you see. But I’ve been living in the Aftertale AU recently. Well, until some villains upended our AU.” Dual’s emotions dips at the reminder. The stranger looks empathetic to his plight. “That sounds horrible! Who are they?”

“Some versions of us who works for someone called Nightmare.”

“Nightmare?”

The stranger sounds alert at the sound of the name.

“You said Nightmare, right? He’s at your AU?”

“Yes?”

“Can you take me there? Your AU?” He looks almost desperate. “Usually, I’d be able to go there myself, but there’s just too much negativity _everywhere_ right now for me to go _anywhere_. If Nightmare takes over one more AU…if I can’t stop him, the Multiverse is going to topple.”

Dual shakes his head. “That…that doesn’t sound good.”

“No. It isn’t.”

“I should bring you with me.”

“Yes. I’ll help you and your AU. I will save everyone.” The stranger’s eyes glow brightly as he speaks. There’s determination and resolution. “I promise.”

Dual lets out a giggle. “Okay. You’ll help.” Despite all the chaos and the mess, he’s feeling a lot better now that he has help. “Um…I’m sorry. This is rude of me. I’m Dual. What is your name?”

“Dream. It’s nice to meet you, Dual.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chan! Chan! Chaaaaan! Dreamcatcher joins the party!!


	4. Dream, the Guardian of Positivity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never fear! Dream is here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, I'm back and with a chapter! Thanks for you patience!

“Where’s Sans? Where did he go?!”

Thorn can feel a migraine building behind his skull as Dual’s not-brother panics.

Flowey makes a derisive scoff. “ _You_ drove him away, idiot. And his name is _Dual_. Not your brother, seeing that he lost his own Papyrus a long time ago.”

“Lost his–? What? But _I’m_ Papyrus.”

“Yeah, you and a thousand others. Get in line, smokestack,” Flowey sneers. “You’re new to all of this too, aren’t you? Probably newer than even us. Golly, you need a crash course about alternate universes and timelines. Why don’t you hurry along and find someone to do that for you? Preferably _away from us._ ”

The Papyrus shakes his head. “Nothing makes any sense.”

If Thorn wasn’t seconds away from an anxiety attack himself, he would’ve been more sympathetic at the other’s plight. But his focus is on Dual’s absence now. Handling Geno being whisked away to universe-knows-where was tolerable with Dual at his side, but now Thorn is alone with Flowey and lost. It doesn’t sit right that they were all separated.

“Wait, where are you going?” The Papyrus calls out to him desperately when he starts to leave. “You can’t – don’t leave me here! I need your help. If… _Dual_ isn’t my bro, then Sans is still in trouble. We weren’t separated. He was _taken_ by someone and he’s still stuck with that maniac _._ Please,” he pleads, “help me.”

_‘Help me’._

Begging like that would’ve gotten a monster _killed_ in Thorn’s Underground. It’s gotten his sweetheart killed too many times to count. But Thorn isn’t in his Underground anymore and he’s long since grown soft.

Thorn wants to help. He really does. But he’s powerless and unstable without Geno and Dual. His home is up in flames. His friends could be dead. He’s _barely_ acting as a proper babysitter for Flowey. Thorn can’t help him.

“It’s not a problem I can fix. Like Flowey says, we’re new here too,” Thorn informs him regretfully. “Go an’ talk ta creepy kid Core. They seem ta know all the answers. Good luck in finding your brother.” And with that, he turns his back on the poor sap and walks away.

Then, the Papyrus makes a mistake: he grabs Thorn by the back of his neck.

Maybe his intention was to stop Thorn by the shoulder and missed. Maybe he was trying to adjust his scarf. Or maybe it’s exactly what it was: a stupid action made by a desperate monster. It doesn’t matter. The neck is a weak point and Thorn reacts the only way he can: he attacks. Bone attacks force the Papyrus to jump away in alarm.

“Let’s not grab random monsters again. ‘specially not by the neck,” he snarls at the alternate version of his younger brother, **“Capisce?”**

The Papyrus looks like he wants to say something but thinks better of it when he takes in Thorn’s tone and raised hackles. He gives a curt nod and a muttered apology before turning tail and fleeing. With a huff, Thorn forces himself to relax. There’s no danger. No one’s trying to dust him and _he’s not going to dust anyone_ because of a little scare.

“Thorn. _Thorn._ ” Flowey is poking at him incessantly, breaking him out of his thoughts. Thorn bites back a scathing remark. He’s tired and anxious, not the best combination. Still, the kid doesn’t deserve any of his emotional outbursts, so he swallows it all down and locks it into a box where he could scream and cry about it later.

Or never.

“What is it, Flowey? ‘m listenin’.”

_“Obviously_ , you weren’t!” The kid hisses. And yet, under all the venom and anger, Thorn picks up on the flower’s _fear_. “You’ve been hit, you idiot! Look at yourself!” And – oh look, it’s true. Thorn looks down numbly at the orange attack embedded into his ribs, just barely grazing his soul. But that doesn’t matter, he has only 1HP. So he should be dying. He should be _dead_.

But he’s not.

Against his better judgement, Thorn grabs the end of the bone attack and gives it a _tug_. It pulls free and dissipates, leaving behind what _should_ have been a gaping wound pouring out marrow and dust. Instead, it leaves behind a single, golden flower.

* * *

Being the Guardian of Positivity isn’t the _sunniest_ of duties despite its label. More often than not, Dream is scrambling to keep an AU from falling under his twin’s tyranny and endlessly trying to balance the emotional scales. Recently, it’s taking all that he can to not let Nightmare take what little positivity that is left in the Multiverse.

Dream hadn’t _always_ been fighting against his brother alone. He used to be part of a team, a _family_. The Star Sanses, the Multiverse called them, but to Dream they were Blue and Ink. With them at his side, Dream felt like he could face whatever Nightmare threw at him and the rest of the Multiverse.

But then, Ink disappeared, and everything started to tumble from there.

Half of the Multiverse was wiped out without Ink to counter Error, leaving millions terrified. Nightmare reveled in the resulting negativity that followed after, shifting the scales to the point that what was left of the Star Sanses was outmatched. Blue got caught in a forced Reset and lost all memories as a Star, leaving Dream all alone.

And he continued to fail again and again even after losing all of that.

Dream shakes his head, dislodging all the terrible thoughts from his head. They easily sink away when he refocuses his attention onto his new companion, Dual.

The positivity rolling off of him may not even be close to the exuberance and enthusiasm that Dream would usually feel from Blue, but it’s familiar. The compassion, joy, and relief are a welcome shift from the crippling grief and panic that led him to Dual in the first place. Even now, with his smiles and fluttering of hope, there’s a weight to his shoulders that Blue never had.

Dream glances at the piece of cloth from an orange hoodie tied around Dual’s leg and leaves it at that.

When they find Dual’s friends, Dream feels other skeleton’s spirits lift. A Fell Sans and a Flowey, not the common combination, but Dream can see that they are the ones who Dual cherishes.

And the ones who can help him defeat Nightmare and save…well, everyone.

“Hello,” Dream greets them with a soft, bright smile when Dual steps aside. “My name is Dream. It’s nice to meet Dual’s friends. He’s told me much about you and your situation. I think I can help you.”

* * *

“There’s no way am I going into a dangerous situation with you, you weirdo!”

Thorn gives a start at Flowey’s snarl. The flower’s petals fluff up defensively as he regards the newcomer with suspicion.

Thorn was usually all for being careful with trusting strangers, but he thinks that Flowey’s aggression is completely unwarranted this time. Thorn has seen how the other inhabitants of the Omega Timeline looked at the golden guardian. Respect. _Reverence._

Dream is more than he seemed. _Powerful_ , Thorn came to realize after speaking with Dual’s new friend and hearing about what he knows. And he’s _good._ Dream has an air about him that makes even the hopeless feel assured.

“Flowey! That is no way to talk to someone who’s helping us!” Dual scolds the flower.

“I dunno, Flowey, I think that this Dream guy knows a lot about what we’re all up against. He’s our best bet in saving our home.”

Flowey shoots him a look of complete betrayal. Thorn briefly feels a stab of remorse at his expression but that feeling is immediately shadowed with the rush of hope that his home can be saved. He’s going to stand with Dual on this one.

“ _Fine._ ” Flowey glowers at Thorn and Dual. “If you want to go with the shiny weirdo, then go! I’m going to stay here and wait for Trashbag!” He declares and throws himself off of Thorn’s shoulder and onto the ground.

“Wait, Flowey –!”

But the flower is already under the dirt and gone.

“I’m so sorry, friend Dream,” Dual apologizes profusely, “I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I thought Flowey has gotten better at not being so mean.” Disappointment and confusion lie heavy on his brow, only to be wiped away when Dream places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“It’s fine, Dual. Really. If Flowey feels uncomfortable about going back, I won’t blame him. Nightmare can be frightening – even through his followers.”

Dual relaxes, his anxiety disappearing into relief and gratefulness. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

“It’s going to be fine now.” Dream says to the both of them with so much confidence that Thorn believes him. “With both of your help, Nightmare won’t win like he wants.”

“No, he won’t!” Dual’s eyelights shift into excited stars as he cheers. Thorn cracks a smile.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Thorn let go of his guilt. He’ll apologize to the kid later, but now? He needs to save what’s left of his home.

* * *

“Did you _see_ the looks on their faces?”

Dust and Killer are roaring with laughter at their recent encounter with this universe’s Sanses. It’s rare to see more than one in an AU so closed off from the Multiverse, but it happens. Machine dysfunctions and all that.

Horror fiddles with his axe with an oddly speculative expression on his face. Dust nudges at his shoulder when the other doesn’t join in on the laughter. “What’s wrong? I thought you had a kick with scaring the locals.”

“I dunno. One of them looked familiar is all. It’s been bothering me.”

Killer abruptly stops laughing at Horror’s words. He tilts his head. “…you’re right.”

After a meaningful pause, Killer snorts. “You’re right, because we all have the same face, stupid.”

The laughter picks right back up, louder than before. Horror, on the other hand, snarls in frustration. He curls two fingers into his socket and gives it a tug. His fragmented mind scrabbles for the vague memory that’s just out of reach. What is it? _What is it?_

_“Silence.”_

All sounds cut off at the demand. From where he stands, Nightmare sends an irritated look at his minions, tentacles curling and uncurling. “If you have time to joke, you have time to find the human. We don’t want them Resetting our hard work, do we? We don’t want _him_ to find out our location before we’re ready, **right?** ”

_Of course not_ , is the unspoken response but they know better than to speak up when their boss is this upset. Instead, they slink away to fulfill their missions.

“Idiots,” Nightmare hisses to himself. His foul mood turns into glee when he hears chains shift and someone groan behind him. The prisoner is awake. How _wonderful._

“A pleasure to finally have you awake, Cross. I still have so many questions to ask and so little time.”

“D-Don’t hurt…him…”

“Oh Cross,” Nightmare tuts, “Dream is the last person you should worry about. Think more about yourself and your own situation instead.” His smile turns absolutely _vicious._ “I don’t do kindly with _traitors_ , after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nightmare, what are you planning?


	5. And Nightmare, His Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dream always ruined everything and people let him get away with it. Some people even found it charming. I don't. It's my plans he's ruining. I wish he'd leave me alone." - Nightmare, probably.

Nightmare is having a good day.

His plans are going smoothly, his power levels are higher than ever, and a certain traitor is in his clutches to punish and torment as he pleased.

Coming to this Post-Pacifist AU is far more awarding than he thought it would be.

As a creature who fed from the pain and suffering of others, this particular AU is a feast with its constant terror, depression, and despair. And the best part? He barely had to lift a finger to make this happen. The feast was already there for him to gorge on upon discovery. Not even a _silver_ of positivity is left in this husk of an AU either, which means no Dream to come and ruin everything.

Nightmare’s tentacles twitch when he feels a shift in the air. A snarl rips through his teeth at the familiar, burning presence.

It seems that he has spoken too soon.

**“Dream.”**

And he brought some backup too. How _quaint_. Nightmare snarls again at the thought of his brother ruining everything yet again. Killer, Horror, and Dust might be able to hold Dream and his _friends_ off, but they would be distracted from their main goal: finding the human who can control time.

Dream knew how Nightmare worked. He knew where to strike. He’s always, _always_ ruining everything –

Cross lets out a pained whimper, bringing him out of his thoughts. Nightmare looks down at the beat-up captive at his feet. Then smiles.

Well, if his brother _insists_ on barging into Nightmare’s business uninvited, then he should properly welcome him with a gift.

* * *

“Have you fought together before?”

Thorn watches Dual’s cheekbones color in embarrassment when Dream asks them this question. The answer is no – they have never fought together in an active battle before despite being seasoned warriors from respective battles. Thorn thinks it shouldn’t be something they should be ashamed of, though. Fighting wasn’t necessary after they made their homes in Geno’s timeline.

“It’s all right,” Dream soothes and Dual immediately relaxes. Thorn smiles despite himself at how well the guardian is able to read and comfort his friend. “That actually makes things easier. If you were both used to fighting together, it would’ve made what I have planned a bit difficult. You’ve met Horror, Dust, and Killer, yes?” Thorn and Dual nod. “Those three have been working on missions together for a very long time. Their teamwork is impeccable. Our best bet right now is splitting them up.”

Dream explains best he can about the fighting styles of each Bad Sans and the best ways to counter them. He’s quick to claim Killer as his opponent. As Nightmare’s right-hand, he’s the most dangerous out of all of them.

“Since Nightmare’s goal is to spread negativity, the best course to ensure that his hard work is not erased is to eliminate anyone who has power over the timeline.”

“So, they’re after little Frisk?” Thorn’s frown turns sharp. The idea of the human child being hunted down by monsters all over again made the magic in his nonexistent stomach roil. “It’s a high stakes game of keep-away then.”

Dream nods grimly. “Yes. Let’s hope that they haven’t found them yet. Those three are well known for not being kind to human children.”

* * *

Once upon a time, Frisk thought that finding Thorn and Dual in the Save Screen with Geno would be the oddest thing they’d ever see. It’s confusing enough that there are _two_ Sanses from the same timeline. Two more from completely different universes? It made their head spin.

Now, they realize what _an absolute naïve fool they’ve been_.

Alternate Universes exist. Thorn and Dual are living and breathing proofs of this. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that there are _countless_ other universes with _countless_ other Sans.

Even bad ones trying to kill them.

Frisk slides under one of the parked cars. It won’t hide them for long, but it’s a good enough hiding place as any to get a breather.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are~!” A voice calls out mockingly. It’s far enough that Frisk doesn’t need to move hiding spaces. Still, the fact that they can _hear_ them is disconcerting. “Chop, chop, kiddo, or your friends will dust.”

Frisk swallows nervously but keeps themself hidden. Their efforts are all for naught when gravity magic throws the car away from them and reveals their location. The axe-wielding skeleton looms over them with a dangerous grin.

“Found ya, snack.”

The axe swings down and Frisk flinches. They roll away from the first strike. The skeleton doesn’t have another chance to do it again. To Frisk’s relief, Thorn makes his entrance, punching his more murderous alternate away from them. He wastes no time in scooping them up and fleeing.

“Thorn!”

“Don’t worry. I gotcha, Frisk. I won’t let ‘em hurt ya,” he rumbles comfortingly as he summons a pair of gaster blasters to flank them. Already, their enemy has recovered and is gaining on them quickly. Thorn’s bones rattle in annoyance. “Yer a real pain in th’ ass, big guy. Why don’ you and yer friends jus’ _buzz off_ an’ leave our home alone!”

At this, Thorn makes the blasters fire a warning shot. The other skeleton easily dodges shot and chucks his weapon at their direction.

Frisk cries out when the axe makes contact. Instead of dusting, Thorn just yanks it out of his back and waves it at the other monster. “Thanks for the weapon, asshole!”

The skeleton pulls out another axe with an anticipatory glitter in their single, red eyelight. _Fight me,_ those eyelights seem to say. Thorn turns away in rejection and speeds up, escape being the only thing on his mind.

“Ah shit. Here we go again. Hold on, Frisk!”

* * *

Just as Dream had directed him, Dual makes sure to avoid the one called Killer. Since Horror had gone after Thorn and Frisk, he’s responsible with Dust. The skeleton across from him coos at him.

“Aww, a _Blue_. Seems like ol’ Dreamy is trying to fill up those empty seats of his team again.”

Dual might not understand what Dust is referring to, but he can tell by the other’s tone that he’s mocking him. Good. Let him underestimate him. In the past, Dual would’ve puffed up at people seeing him as ‘cute’ and ‘weak’. He had been a fool.

A tiny gaster blaster chirps into existence right by Dual’s head.

Dust snickers behind his hand. “That’s _adorable,_ Blue.”

“Thank you. I’m happy to hear that you like it. Here’s some more.” Dual smiles pleasantly as a hundred more of the miniature gaster blasters appear behind him, wiping away all mirth from Dust’s expression. “Oh, and my name is Dual, not Blue.”

The gaster blasters fire.

* * *

Bringing down Killer takes little effort for Dream. He’s on a personal mission, after all.

“Where is he?”

Nightmare’s right-hand chuckles weakly from the ground, completely battered from their blows. “Heh. Knew you’d ask about Cross the first chance you got.”

“Where. Is. He?”

Killer jerks his head to the side, grin widening as the guardian turns and looks up. His golden eyelights shrink at the sight that met him: Cross hung up against a building like a fly trapped in a spider’s web. He’s a good distance away, but Dream can tell that he’s been tied up in a way that the bindings rubs at his wounds. Marrow and dust clings onto his bones and his clothes. All of it his own. Cross is so still.

“Boss is waiting for you,” Killer reveals. “Do you like his gift? Look, he even wrapped it up pretty.”

* * *

Geno stares in mute horror at what is on the other side of the gray door.

…No one.

No one is there. And yet, Geno feels as if he’s woken up into a nightmare. The kid. The gray door. He had promised to come back for them, but he _forgot_ the moment time wound back _._ He _promised._ Memories that he didn’t even realize he’d lost trickles into his skull, awakening a sense of terror as he kneels down and desperately grabs at the blanket on the ground. He nearly misses it with how it blends into the white floor.

“Oh no, no, _no_. Please be okay. Please don’t be –” Geno lets out a keen when he sees it: the soul.

Just like the blanket, it’s completely white, like a monster soul. Geno carefully swaddles it up with the white cloth and cradles it to his chest. He bawls into the blanket and rocks the soul side to side as if it’s the one that needed to be comforted.

TK watches silently from the side. He waits until Geno’s sobs and wails subsides and calms. He waits for a while.

“They waited for me,” Geno finally says.

“Yeah,” the young monster agrees quietly, “they did. They’re good like that.”

Geno takes a shaky breath. “You knew them.”

“Different timeline, but yeah, I knew them. We’re friends. They wanted nothing more than to find you, so they searched for a way to get to you. That’s how we met.” At the other’s look, TK shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t save them.”

“They’re gone…”

“No,” TK corrects Geno, “you still have a piece of them right here. You’re awfully late, but you made it. You’re here. You got them out, and they don’t have to stay in that place behind the door ever again.”

* * *

Nightmare waits with anticipation for his brother to appear. Dream must have received his message by now. He made sure to place his ‘gift’ as conspicuously as he could.

Will his brother despair? Or feel disappointment? Or perhaps his hopes might shatter. Any of the above would completely swallow up what tiny fraction of power Dream had managed to access to make it here, ensuring Nightmare’s victory. Any time now. Whatever negative feeling this will elicit from Dream, Nightmare looks forward to seeing it written over his brother’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you know that scene in The Lost World: Jurassic Park when that little girl nearly got eaten up by those compies (mini-raptors)? Yeah, that's Dust with Dual's mini-Blasters right now.


	6. The Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something feels off...

TK and Geno return to a chaotic Omega Timeline. There is panic amongst the inhabitants. The pair immediately are on guard, searching for the source of the disturbance. Much to their confusion, they can’t find any.

“About time you came back, Trashbag!”

Geno blinks and looks down at the fuming flower at his feet.

“Flowey? What happened here? Where’s Dual and Thorn?”

Flowey scowls at the reminder and shakes his head. “They’re gone.”

“They’re _gone?”_

“It wasn’t my fault!” Flowey’s petals curl into themselves defensively. _“They_ wanted to leave! I said that we should stay but they didn’t listen!” He scowls at the memory of it. “Those two idiots went off with some golden weirdo to fight the bad guys and get back our home.”

“Dream was here?” TK interrupts Flowey. The anxious coil in Geno loosens at the positive recognition in the kid’s expression.

“Friend of yours?”

TK nods enthusiastically. “Yeah! Dream’s the Guardian of Positivity and a member of the Star Sanses. He’s a pretty big deal around here. If he’s involved, that means Nightmare is responsible with what’s going on in your AU. Which makes sense since that guy profits from the suffering of others. You wouldn’t think those two are brothers, much less twins, but what can you do? You can’t control that you’re related to the Lord of Negativity.”

Everything that is coming out of TK’s mouth becomes more and more surreal to Geno. It’s not that he doesn’t believe him. He’s seen too much to even consider that now. It’s just that, with every moment he’s spending in this place, Geno’s world is turning more and more like Alphy’s magical girl anime and he doesn’t know how to feel about that.

“Yeah, yeah whatever!” Flowey snaps, interrupting TK’s enthusiastic info dump. “That’s not the important thing here! Thorn and Dual are _gone_ and all you’re doing is fanboying over the guy who’s probably going to mess up and _get them killed!_ ”

Geno might not like the weed. Hell, he’s halfway from snapping back at Flowey for making TK flinch and clam up. But then the soul in his hands pulses as if in a gentle reminder.

_(“Everyone can be a better person if they try.”)_

“Flowey, hey, Flowey,” Geno tries to make his voice go soft and comforting, “it’s all right. I know you’re worried –

“I’m **not** worried!” The flower hisses, making Geno’s teeth grit. He takes a calming breath. The rhythmic thumping of the soul in his hand helps. “I know you’re worried,” he repeats himself, “but Thorn and Dual are going to be okay.”

_“How do you know that?”_ Flowey looks more lost than deranged now. Geno feels a little bit of pity for the soulless creature. “Dual is just like your brother – a _weakling_ who’d probably sooner be cut into little, smiling pieces before taking down a scary enemy. And _Thorn_. He can fight, but he _doesn’t_. He does that on purpose. How can either of them be _okay?!”_

Geno huffs out a laugh. “Those two can handle themselves just fine. Thorn and Dual are the way they are by choice. They’re more than capable of defending themselves when push comes to shove. And how am I sure about that?”

* * *

“Thought…ya didn’t…fight…”

Horror’s smile stretches wide as he’s pinned onto the building wall with DT-colored bone attacks. The little snack skitters away for a better place to hide, but he’s pays it no mind. There’s always another time to hunt them down. Horror has a new prey to focus on at the moment.

“I don’ _kill,”_ his opponent corrects him, “but I can _fight._ I won’t let you touch the kid. Just scram already.”

Oh, but things are just getting interesting.

Horror easily slashes at his constraints and grabs at his new prey’s wrist. It’s a poor imitation of a handshake. For a moment, his new prey looks confused. Horror doesn’t give him the chance to recover. With a sharp tug forward, he forces the other to show his neck and slashes down with his axe.

Instead of a head rolling away from a pile of dust, golden flowers bloom at his neck.

_Such a familiar smell…_

With a shake of his head, Horror dispels the stray thought and instead focuses on – Thorn, is it? Yes, Thorn. Thorn strikes back with a viciousness deserving of his AU. Horror looks forward to taking him down.

* * *

_“You were careless, brother,”_ Dust hears Papyrus hiss as he stumbles away from the tiny terrors. The swarm of mini-gaster blasters shoot attack after attack at his heels. Even though Dust blows a significant number of them away with a well-aimed gaster blaster attack of his own, more take their place.

“I know, Paps, I know,” he mutters under his breath. “I’m workin’ on it.”

_“Work harder.”_

After the tiny terrors manage to take down another one of his blasters, Dust decides that a little change is in order. If this Dual character revels in the element of surprise, then he’ll meet that with a surprise of his own.

With a snap of his fingers, Dust summons a trident. Aside from its bone-white coloring, it’s the exact replica of Asgore’s weapon. Dust didn’t just gain LV when he cut down his friends and his brother. He stole away their attacks too so he can have more arsenal against the human. It sucks away his magic like no tomorrow, but it does its work.

Dust lashes out at Dual with the weapon, fully intending to dust the nuisance with a single strike –

…Only to be countered by a similar trident. Foreign magic surrounds the weapon. (It smells of butterscotch and cinnamon.)

“Look at that,” Dust marvels, thrilled by this new discovery, “we’re more alike than I thought! Did you cut down everyone from your AU too?”

Dual’s eyelights sharpen and take on a more golden glow.

**“ s h u t u p .”**

Oooh. Touchy. Dust can use that.

“Make me.”

* * *

“Because they’re just like me.” Geno’s good eye socket begins to glow with magic to punctuate his point. “Survivors who won’t take any shit when it really matters. If they have a powerful demigod version of me helping them out, I think they’ll be just fine.”

After a moment, he lets his magic dissipate.

“Now that’s all settled, I want to know what happened here. What’s wrong with everyone?”

Flowey scoffs and rolls his eyes halfheartedly. “Dunno what you’re talking about. _Everyone’s_ been acting all weird for a while now. Are you just noticing it? Lazy weirdo.”

TK frowns at Geno’s side. “What do you mean everyone’s been weird?”

“Well –

“TK, you have returned. Good.” Everyone jumps at Core’s sudden appearance. Despite their Void-eyes and monotone, Geno can tell that they’re worried about something. “There has been a breach in the Omega Timeline.”

* * *

Cross wakes up on the pavement. He’s no longer hanging from the buildings and the worst of his wounds were healed up.

“Heya, Criss-cross,” Killer sings not too far from him, making him flinch, “about time you woke up. You missed out on a whole ‘lotta things while you were out. Didn’t you hear? You got a new set of teammates. Here’s to hoping you won’t stab ‘em in the back like you did to your last group.”

Cross refuses to react at the reminder. He _refuses_ to. The decision he made to stand at Dream’s side will never be something he regrets.

“What are you planning?” he somehow manages to wheeze out. His ribs, despite being healed, are still sore, which makes speaking a little difficult. Nightmare certainly didn’t hold back.

Killer shrugs. “No idea. I mean we _had_ a plan, but your precious Dream swooped into the scene and ruined everything.” He’s facing away from Cross and making zero effort in moving himself, which is typical Killer behavior whenever he’s trying to screw with Cross.

Instead of the irritation he expected, Cross feels lightheaded and fuzzy. Even though he’s lying on the ground, it feels like the most comfortable place in the entire Multiverse. It’s so nice. He wants to stay like this forever. He should –

No. _No._ Cross isn’t actually feeling this.

“Something’s wrong, something’s happened,” Cross mumbles half-deliriously, trying to stumble onto his feet and failing. _“Where is Dream?”_

“He’s fiiiine, Crossy. Just fiiiiiine~” Killer giggles as gold streams down his skull. He doesn’t bother sitting up, completely content with his position on the ground. “He’s right over yonder at whatevermuchit having a chat with Boss.” He giggles again. “Or somethin’ like that. This is nice. Everything is great.”

Cross should feel horrified, but he’s not. A short giggle escapes him at Killer’s mirth. He very so wants to join him. He feels himself slipping. He wants to let go.

No, no, he has to –

_But it feels so nice._

This isn’t him. This isn’t. Him. Cross needs to find Dream. He needs to –

_Everything is great. Everything is wonderful._

…

_Everything is fine._

Cross lets out a sigh of contentment as he goes limp. Yes, everything is fine. Everything is great. He’s the happiest he’s ever been. He wants to feel like this forever.

* * *

“Wait, really, Frisk? A break-in? Which enemy was it? Was it Fresh? Or did Error finally find us?”

“No, it wasn’t them.”

“…then who?”

* * *

_“Dream.”_

Nightmare spits out the name like a curse.

Dream stands above him with a placid smile. His eyelights _burn_ gold as they bear down at his fallen brother. A pair of wings take up most of the room, making him seem menacing despite his expression.

“Hello, brother.”


End file.
